


Nightmares In Staten Island

by Visionsofdazzlingrooms



Series: Not Without My Muse [4]
Category: blue bloods
Genre: F/M, Nightmares, Psychology, lindanny, post season seven, psychologist
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-03
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:53:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27864117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Visionsofdazzlingrooms/pseuds/Visionsofdazzlingrooms
Summary: Alex Dawson is surprised to see a familiar face on his couch one sunny afternoon. Can he be of any help?Danny Reagan knows what’s wrong and what’s causing the problem. He just needs to know how to get rid of it
Relationships: Danny Reagan/Linda Reagan
Series: Not Without My Muse [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2017271
Comments: 4
Kudos: 5





	Nightmares In Staten Island

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ancilla89](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ancilla89/gifts).



> Recently, I learned that nurses do not get on medical helicopters in New York. Because I like to stay fairly accurate to the facts, I’ve changed Linda’s helicopter accident to a car accident. I do not have details to this yet, but I’m letting you know, because it’s briefly discussed in here

Dr. Alex Dawson steps off the elevator one sunny Thursday afternoon, with a cup of coffee in his hand. He has just gotten back from lunch, and has a long day of paperwork ahead of him. "No calls or interruptions, Carol. I've got to work on that magazine article."

"Yessir." Carol smiles from the reception desk. "Oh, there's someone in your office. I don't know him- he just walked right in."

Alex furrows his brow and pushes open the door to his office. He is surprised to see Danny Reagan sitting on the couch. Danny is hunched over, his arms resting in his lap with his hands clasped. He is staring at the floor, looking like something is wrong. 

"Danny?"

"Hey."

Alex places his briefcase on his desk slowly, observing the detective. As he makes his way to his chair, he starts taking. "I heard about your wife. I'm sorry, but I'm glad she's okay."

"Thank you," his response is almost monotonous, his eyes still trained on the floor. 

"She's doing well, is she not?"

"Lotsa pain and crying, depression. Post traumatic stress.... It's..." Danny sighs and looks up for the first time. "A process."

"Not an easy one."

"No."

"Is that why you came here today- to talk about your wife?"

"Sorta?" Danny stands and starts walking around, needing to get the nervous energy out. "She's seeing someone, uh, Dr. Bennett, I think."

"Oh, yes. She's good, highly praised. But I have a feeling that's not why you came today."

"Know anything about nightmares?"

"Yes, I know about nightmares. Are you having them?"

"Yeah." Danny stands by the big window, overlooking the city. "Do these windows open?"

"Why?"

"For air." He turns around, "I'm not planning to jump. I'm fine. It's just hot and stuffy in here."

Alex stands up and walks to the window. He opens it enough for the air to come in. "You said you wanted to talk about nightmares." He walks back to his chair. 

"Yes. About recurring nightmares." Danny sits on the couch, "ones that happen every night, and sometimes twice in a night."

"What're these nightmares that you're having about?"

"Linda. And the crash. And the house fire."

"All at once?"

"Yes."

"Walk me through one of these?"

Danny sighs, it's hard to retell the nightmares. It's so much easier to say that they happened and leave it at that. He's silent for a long time, trying not to break out into those nervous sweats he experiences after the nightmares. 

"You came here today to talk about these nightmares, which shows bravery, as I know you're not very fond of our sessions," Alex starts, continuing to study his patient. "As a reminder, I won't laugh or tease or say anything like that."

"I know," Danny looks at him, "I just don't like remembering them."

"I understand, I just thought you needed to be reminded."

Danny sighs again and starts talking about the nightmares. "It always starts with flames. Flames and the hou- the old house. Then I hear Linda screaming from inside the house, and I know I can help her, but I don't. Then she's in the car, and the dashboard catches fire.... I hear her screaming again, and again, I can do something, but don't. The car goes down that damned cliff... and then she dies in the fire and the crash."

"And that's when you wake up?"

"Yes. Some- sometimes it's a little different. Maybe it's a helicopter crash instead of a car crash. Sometimes the- the boys are there too. But it- it still ends the same." Danny stands again and walks to the window. The air, although warm, is still calming and refreshing on his face. 

"It seems to me you have a fear of losing your wife. Your family, too, but your wife most of all."

"I know that, Doc."

Alex is about to ask why Danny came then, since he seems to know the reason and fear behind the nightmares, but Danny speaks first. 

"I need something to get rid of them. You gotta have a drug for that, right?"

"We have drugs for nightmares associated with PTSD. Usually, there is no drug for stopping nightmares."

"Is there treatment then? Like some essential oil shit or something?" 

“There are some methods, such as meditation and sleep schedules. But what we need to know here is what’s the root of the problem?”

“Linda almost dying. I know the reasons and the causes. My problem is getting rid of the nightmares and making them stop.” Danny sits back on the couch. 

“Tell me what you feel when you wake from the nightmares.”

“Stressed. Angry, scared... relief.”

“Relief because the nightmare is over?”

“Cause Linda’s right there beside me.”

“Do you feel anxious when you wake up from these nightmares?”

“Sometimes.”

“During the day, do you feel anxious, depressed, or stressed?”

“Not more than usual.”

“More than usual?” Alex looks concerned as he stops writing on the small pad. 

“I’m a cop. A homicide detective. Anxiety and stress go with the territory. Plus, I’m naturally a paranoid person..” Danny shrugs noncommittally. 

“It seems like, to me, that this is a form of ptsd.”

“Figures,” Danny grumbles under his breath. 

“While this didn’t happen to you, the traumatic car accident happened to a loved one, and you’re feeling stressed and worried that it could happen again.”

“That doesn’t really sound like PTSD.”

“Maybe not, but I think you’ve got common symptoms.”

“So, so what? I have to pop a pill every day?”

“I want to see if you can lick this without a pill. Regular exercise, healthy eating habits, and a good sleep schedule is where I want you to start.”

“Do you know how hard a regular sleep cycle is as a homicide detective?”

“Do your best.” Alex hands Danny a slip of paper with the things he wants him to do.

“Okay.”

“Was that all you needed to see me about?”

“Yeah.”

“Call or come by in two months, and we’ll see where you’re at.”

“Thanks, Doc.”

“You’re welcome.”

**********

Danny does his best to keep to the sleeping schedule, but it’s hard as a first grade detective. The nightmares do become less frequent, but he does notice anxiety whenever Linda leaves the house. Alex prescribes a pill for the anxiety, and it does seem to help. 

Danny knows the anxiety, ptsd, and the nightmares will never fully go away, but talking with Dr. Dawson (and Linda) helps ease some of the anxiety. He may have thought Dawson was just another blow-dried MIT weenie interested in the money, not the patient. Not only is Dr. Dawson the stark opposite of that, but he has become a good friend of Danny and Linda. 

“Never judge a book by its cover.”


End file.
